School News: 12/9

Sunday

Dec 9, 2012 at 12:01 AM

Central High SchoolCentral High JROTC will sponsor a blood drive through United Blood Services on from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Thursday. Students and community members may preregister at www.bloodhero.com with sponsor code Centraltuscaloosa to earn extra bonus reward points. Students are also encouraged to sign up during lunch. Seniors who donate two times this school year can earn their red cord for graduation.-The winners for Citizenship Student of the Month for November include ninth-grader Jamecia Sanders, 10th-grader Carsuela Wilson, 11th-grader Quinteria Grant and 12th-grader Torrey Martin.-Central High School's holiday concert will be at 7 p.m. Thursday in the auditorium.

Poetry Out Loud Regional FinalsThe Arts Council of Tuscaloosa recently hosted the District III Poetry Out Loud regional finals competition featuring local high school students in the West-Central Alabama area. Before the final round in Tuscaloosa on Nov. 27, the students participated in a primary competition at their respective high schools.Poetry Out Loud is a contest that helps students master public speaking skills, build self-confidence and learn about their literary heritage. More than 365,000 students competed in the contest in 2011-12.Students competing in the District III Poetry Out Loud program participated in either the national/anthology portion of the program, the original poetry portion or both. The Alabama State Council on the Arts sponsored the original poetry competition. The winners in the recitation and original poetry portions will compete in the statewide competition in Montgomery in 2013. Winners in the national/anthology portion will travel to Washington, D.C., for a final round. Sponsors include the National Endowment for the Arts, Poetry Foundation, Alabama State Council on the Arts and the Arts Council.-National /Anthology Winners:First: Shaylyn Rice, Ramsay High School, Jefferson CountySecond: Ellen Grappe, Holy Spirit High School, Tuscaloosa CountyThird: Meghan Marks, Indian Springs School, Shelby CountyFourth: Charles Nash, Brookwood High School, Tuscaloosa County-Original Poetry Winners: First: Tiara Bradford, Ramsay High School, Jefferson CountySecond: Kahzar Powell, Northridge High School, Tuscaloosa CountyThird: Andranell McKinney, Brookwood High, Tuscaloosa CountyFourth: Daijah Abercrombie, Ramsay High, Jefferson CountyFifth: Ellen Grappe, Holy Spirit High School, Tuscaloosa CountyJudges for the day were John Paul Taylor, Executive Director for Real Life Poets Inc., Abraham Smith, Master of Fine Arts instructor at the University of Alabama, and Patti White, professor of English at the University of Alabama. Tessa Fontaine, a Master of Fine Arts candidate in the English department at UA, served as accuracy judge, and Kevin Ledgewood, arts council publicist, was prompter. Sharron Rudowski, director of educational programs for the Arts Council, was the coordinator of the event for District 3.The District 3 participants' original poetry will be featured in a Slash Pine Press publication to be released in 2013. Slash Pine Press, based at the University of Alabama, produces limited-run books of poetry and other mixed-genre works.

Duncanville Middle SchoolXan Hartley, a seventh-grade science teacher at Duncanville Middle School, was recently awarded a $500 grant by the Community Foundation of West Alabama. Hartley will use the money to purchase microscopes for her classroom.

Tuscaloosa City SchoolsTuscaloosa City Schools' students on Nov. 30 donated $10,759.21 to the 2012 United Way campaign. Students from Tuscaloosa City Schools presented United Way with the donation, which they earned through school fundraisers like a penny drop, hat day, pajama day and etc.